Lexi Webster
Australia is the smallest of the world's seven continents, lying between the Indian and Pacific Oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. The continent of Australia is sometimes referred to as Sahul, Meganesia, Australinea, or Australia-New Guinea to distinguish it from the country of Australia. The continent includes the entire Australian mainland, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea, the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and many other islands. Australia is the only country that occupies the continent. New Zealand is not part of the continent of Australia but is part of the Oceanian sub-region known as Australasia.
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What You'll Learn
Australia is the only country in the Australia continent
Australia is the only country in the Australian continent. It is surrounded by the Indian, Southern, and Pacific Oceans and is the smallest of the seven continents on Earth. The Australian continent is part of the Australian Plate and is the lowest, flattest, and oldest landmass on Earth. It has a relatively stable geological history and is home to a diverse range of unique flora and fauna.
The Australian continent includes the mainland of Australia, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea, the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, most of the Coral Sea Islands, and several other nearby islands. It is geographically located in Oceania, specifically in the subregion of Australasia.
Australia's isolation from other continents has resulted in its distinct plant and animal life. The continent is known for its variety of endemic species, including 83% of mammals, 89% of reptiles, 24% of fish and insects, and 93% of amphibians. The koala, emu, platypus, kangaroo, and Tasmanian devil are some of the well-known animals native to the country.
The Australian continent experiences a diverse range of climates, from desert and semi-arid conditions to temperate climates in the southern coastal regions. The northern parts of the country have a tropical climate, while the highlands near the east coast experience frequent snowfall. Australia is also one of the continents most affected by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, resulting in extensive droughts and wet periods.
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New Zealand is not part of the Australia continent
The continent of Australia, also known as Sahul, Australia-New Guinea, Australinea, or Meganesia, includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea, the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and some other nearby islands.
New Zealand is not a part of the continent of Australia. It is, however, part of the Oceanian sub-region known as Australasia, along with Australia, New Guinea, and neighboring islands in the Pacific Ocean. New Zealand is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, approximately 1500 km east of Australia. It is an island country that consists of two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and over 600 smaller islands.
New Zealand is considered part of the Australian continent on many maps of the Earth's continents. However, it is argued that New Zealand exists on its own continent, known as Zealandia. Zealandia is a submerged mass of continental crust and is said to be around a billion years old. It is about half the size of Australia, and New Zealand is the highest point on this submerged piece of Earth's continental crust.
Zealandia has been classified as a submerged continent, microcontinent, and continental fragment. Many researchers are pushing for Zealandia to become officially recognized as a continent, and GNS Science already refers to it as Earth's eighth continent. While New Zealand is not officially labeled as its own continent, all the science points to it being counted as such.
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The continent is also known as Sahul, Meganesia, Australinea, or Australia-New Guinea
The continent of Australia is sometimes referred to by several other names, including Sahul, Australinea, Meganesia, or Australia-New Guinea. These names are used to distinguish the continent from the country of Australia.
The name Sahul is derived from the Sahul Shelf, a part of the continental shelf of the Australian continent. Sahul was also a paleocontinent that existed during the Pleistocene Epoch, approximately 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago. During this period, lower sea levels caused by the Pleistocene Ice Age resulted in the formation of land bridges connecting mainland Australia with New Guinea and Tasmania. The combined landmass of Sahul was approximately 30% larger than the collective area of present-day Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea.
The name Australinea was coined by biologist Richard Dawkins in 2004. Meganesia, on the other hand, was suggested in 1984 and is widely accepted by biologists. It means "great island" or "great island-group". Archaeologists tend to use the name Sahul, while Meganesia is favoured by zoogeographers.
The continent of Australia, also known as Sahul, Australinea, or Meganesia, is located within the Southern and Eastern hemispheres, near Maritime Southeast Asia. It is the smallest of the seven traditional continents, with a total land area of 8.56 million square kilometres. The continent includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea), the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, most of the Coral Sea Islands, and some other nearby islands.
Australia, the largest landmass within the continent, is highly urbanised and has the 14th-largest economy in the world. It is also home to a diverse range of endemic animal species, including koalas, emus, platypuses, kangaroos, and the Tasmanian devil.
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The continent includes the Arafura Sea and Torres Strait
The Australian continent is the smallest of the seven traditional continents. It includes the Arafura Sea and the Torres Strait, which are bodies of water that separate the continent into several landmasses. The Arafura Sea, also known as the Arafuru Sea, is a shallow sea in the western Pacific Ocean. It covers an area of 250,000 square miles (650,000 square kilometres) between the northern coast of Australia (Gulf of Carpentaria) and the island of New Guinea. The sea is bordered by the Timor Sea to the west, the Banda and Seram (or Ceram) seas to the northwest, and the Torres Strait to the east. The Arafura Sea is a significant source of marine life, particularly shrimp and demersal fish. It is also known for its pearl fisheries around the Aru Islands.
The Torres Strait is a waterway that separates far northern continental Australia (Cape York Peninsula) from the island of New Guinea. The strait is named after the Spanish navigator Luís Vaz de Torres, who sailed through it in 1606. The Torres Strait Islands are an archipelago of at least 274 small islands, of which only 17 are inhabited. The islands are predominantly inhabited by Indigenous Torres Strait Islanders, who have a unique culture and a long-standing history with the nearby coastlines. The London Missionary Society arrived on Erub (Darnley Island) in 1871, and in 1879, the islands were annexed by the colony of Queensland, then a British colony.
The Arafura Sea and the Torres Strait were once part of a large, flat land bridge that connected Australia and New Guinea during the Pleistocene ice age. This land bridge, which also included the Gulf of Carpentaria, made it easier for humans to migrate between the two landmasses. Today, the Torres Strait is a challenging ship passage due to its narrow width and numerous uncharted shoals.
The maritime border in the Torres Strait was determined in 1978 through an agreement between Australia and Papua New Guinea. The proximity of the islands to Papua New Guinea became an issue when the latter gained independence from Australia in 1975. The Papua New Guinea government objected to the position of the border and Australia's control over the waters of the strait.
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Australia is the smallest continent in the world
Australia is part of the Australian Plate and is the lowest, flattest, and oldest landmass on Earth. It has a relatively stable geological history, with a unique variety of flora and fauna due to its long geographic isolation. The climate is mostly desert or semi-arid, with temperate southern coastal corners and tropical northern regions.
The continent of Australia is home to the country of Australia, which covers about 86% of the region's total area. The country of Australia has a population of over 23 million people and is known for its diverse landscapes, from the snowy highlands in the states of Victoria and New South Wales to the tropical climate in the north.
Australia, the country, has a rich history, having been part of the British Empire and now a member of the Commonwealth. It gained full independence from the United Kingdom in 1986. The capital, Canberra, is located between the cultural and economic centres of Sydney and Melbourne.
The unique flora and fauna of Australia are well-known, including eucalyptus trees, acacias, and the iconic koala, kangaroo, and platypus. The Great Barrier Reef, off the east coast of Queensland, is another natural wonder, attracting tourists from all over the world.
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Frequently asked questions
There is only one country in the continent of Australia, and it is the country of Australia.
New Zealand is not part of the continent of Australia, but of the separate, submerged continent of Zealandia.
Papua New Guinea is part of the Australian continent, specifically the island of New Guinea, which is divided between Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea.
Tasmania is part of the country of Australia and, therefore, the Australian continent.
